As Congress begins to review surveillance reform legislation released this week, President Barack Obama’s administration on Thursday officially unveiled its plan to end the bulk collection of customer data from telephone companies.
The administration’s proposal would leave bulk data at the companies, forcing the National Security Agency to engage telephone and Internet companies each time it seeks data from specific telephone numbers; the businesses would be free to retain their customer information for as long as they typically do. The plan is similar to the FISA Transparency and Modernization Act [PDF] that Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, D-Md., introduced Tuesday.
